Inspired by awkward and uncomfortable social situations, abstract expressionist Barbara Kuebel crafts life-sized woodcuts by hand that serve as a whole-body experience to the viewer. These figurative portraits offer visual scenarios shaped by spontaneous emotion, aggression, affection, isolation and social density. Barbara is less concerned with details and more interested in gestures, using shape and graphic themes to translate emotional information.
Barbara Kuebel's Early Career and Style
Born and raised in Austria, Barbara earned two art degrees from the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna. Bold and monochromatic colour palettes and pencil strokes - which she sees as an essential carrier of visual information - expand her subjects against a simplified backdrop. There's a monumentality to these vessels that knot and press together, appearing deformed at first glance. The blacks and white become more like matter than colour, adding to this sense of vastness - a breach of traditional frameworks. Barbara's figures are pioneers for the emancipation of traditionally accepted artwork. Barbara intends that the abstract bodies in the prints be unrealistic, opening up a chasm of pure possibility and creativity for the viewer.
Exhibitions and Awards
Barbara has been featured in digital magazines such as This Is Colossal and 10 Years of The Other Art Fair by Saatchi Art. Barbara was a finalist for the annual NDA "No Dead Artist" Exhibition, 2020, at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans. The artist has also exhibited widely across the US and Europe. Barbara currently lives in Daphne, Alabama, USA. Her latest events include “Shadow Jumpers” at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, a group show with Anastasia Pelias Gallery Artists, and the New York Paper Fair, all 2023.
